Fred Parker on wed 7 oct 09
I have made and sold a number of unglazed tea bowls. The reason is that
some just do NOT want to be glazed because the beauty of the bare clay wo=
=3D
uld
be lost. I use an unglazed tea bowl every day, and find it to be much
"nicer" than those that are glazed.
The weird part is that I have met with great resistance to them in the
marketplace. Most of my customers favor the glazed tea bowls. A very fe=
=3D
w
go for the unglazed, regardless how much more it has to offer. I asked
several people why they shied away from the unglazed versions. The answe=
=3D
rs
seemed to cite a fear of "lead poisoning" in unglazed ware. I guess this=
=3D
is
yet another example of the dumbing down of the nation...
Fred Parker
Eric Serritella on wed 7 oct 09
Interesting that the fear was lead, since many still fear lead in glaze too=
.
Keep in mind that the texture of unglazed clay is different then a glazed
surface, and here in the west we're just accustomed to the smooth feel of
glaze. Possibly from the use of glassware so much in our kitchen lives. Who
knows? Just years of glaze and glassware being the norm I suppose.
In addition to burnishing unglazed pieces for a smooth feel, I also sand
them after firing them to remove that gritty feel. People handling them
respond differently when their not as tacky.
I agree with you, nothing like the feel of unglazed clay!
Eric
----- Original Message -----
From: "Fred Parker"
To:
Sent: Wednesday, October 07, 2009 9:16 AM
Subject: Unglazed tea bowls
I have made and sold a number of unglazed tea bowls. The reason is that
some just do NOT want to be glazed because the beauty of the bare clay woul=
d
be lost. I use an unglazed tea bowl every day, and find it to be much
"nicer" than those that are glazed.
The weird part is that I have met with great resistance to them in the
marketplace. Most of my customers favor the glazed tea bowls. A very few
go for the unglazed, regardless how much more it has to offer. I asked
several people why they shied away from the unglazed versions. The answers
seemed to cite a fear of "lead poisoning" in unglazed ware. I guess this i=
s
yet another example of the dumbing down of the nation...
Fred Parker
Eric Serritella
528 Sebring Road
Newfield, NY 14867
607-564-7810
www.ericserritella.com
Chaeli Sullivan on wed 7 oct 09
Oh!=3DA0 That's funny, Fred !!!
How in the world did you keep a straight face when the potential customers =
=3D
replied:=3DA0 fear of lead poisoning in the unglazed ware?
Chae
--- On Wed, 10/7/09, Fred Parker wrote:
From: Fred Parker
Subject: Unglazed tea bowls
To: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2009, 6:16 AM
I have made and sold a number of unglazed tea bowls.=3DA0 The reason is tha=
t
some just do NOT want to be glazed because the beauty of the bare clay woul=
=3D
d
be lost.=3DA0 I use an unglazed tea bowl every day, and find it to be much
"nicer" than those that are glazed.
The weird part is that I have met with great resistance to them in the
marketplace.=3DA0 Most of my customers favor the glazed tea bowls.=3DA0 A v=
ery =3D
few
go for the unglazed, regardless how much more it has to offer.=3DA0 I asked
several people why they shied away from the unglazed versions.=3DA0 The ans=
we=3D
rs
seemed to cite a fear of "lead poisoning" in unglazed ware.=3DA0 I guess th=
is=3D
is
yet another example of the dumbing down of the nation...
Fred Parker
=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A
Lee Love on wed 7 oct 09
On Wed, Oct 7, 2009 at 9:54 AM, Eric Serritella w=
=3D
rote:
> I have made and sold a number of unglazed tea bowls. =3DA0The reason is t=
ha=3D
t
> some just do NOT want to be glazed because the beauty of the bare clay wo=
=3D
uld
> be lost. =3DA0I use an unglazed tea bowl every day, and find it to be muc=
h
> "nicer" than those that are glazed.
Terra sig is the original teflon. It is smoother than glaze. We took
a pumpkin pie to Warren and Nancy's for dinner, baked in one of my
terra sigged pie plates. The pie slides out just like teflon.
I use Pete Pinnel's Lip Smackin' Terra Sig, also found at Arbuckle's han=
=3D
dout:
http://lindaarbuckle.com/handouts/majolica_handout2007.pdf
--
Lee Love, Minneapolis
"The tea ceremony bowl is the ceramic equivalent of a sonnet: a
small-scale, seemingly constricted form that challenges the artist to
go beyond mere technical virtuosity and find an approach that both
satisfies and transcends the conventions." -- Rob Sliberman
full essay: http://togeika.multiply.com/journal/item/273/
Lis Allison on wed 7 oct 09
On Wednesday 07 October 2009, Chaeli Sullivan wrote:
> Oh! That's funny, Fred !!!
> How in the world did you keep a straight face when the potential
> customers replied: fear of lead poisoning in the unglazed ware?
Not at all funny! My local potters' guild has just passed a rule against
any food surface which is not glazed because..... drum roll, please....
the clay could release lead. (Also could trap bacteria but that almost
makes sense.)
Lis
--
Elisabeth Allison
Pine Ridge Studio
www.Pine-Ridge-Studio.blogspot.com
Logan Johnson on wed 7 oct 09
O.K. this thread woke up my longstanding curiosity.=3DA0=3D20
When DID "we" stop using lead in "our" pottery?
I know I don't & many here on the list don't.
Naturally there are exceptions=3DA0 but I would like to say to uneducated p=
ro=3D
spective buyers something like=3DA0 " Ceramic artists haven't used lead in =
po=3D
ttery for (insert number here) years/decades."=3DA0 Maybe I should=3DA0 say=
...=3D
.Responsible=3DA0 before Ceramic artists
if=3DA0 it's more appropriate or, say "in the U.S." ?=3DA0 since I know not=
hing=3D
about what other countries are doing.
What's a good answer to the question...=3DA0 Is there lead in the pottery? =
or=3D
I'm worried about the lead in the clay so I don't want a cup without a gla=
=3D
zed interior.
Curious minds want to know !
Thanks ,
Logan
Logan Johnson=3D20
Yakima Valley Pottery & Supply=3D20
719 w. Nob Hill blvd.=3D20
Yakima Wa. 98902=3D20
(509) 469-6966=3D20
www.yakimavalleypottery.net
=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A
marci and rex on wed 7 oct 09
At 12:37 PM 10/7/2009, Lis Allison wrote:
>On Wednesday 07 October 2009, Chaeli Sullivan wrote:
> > Oh! That's funny, Fred !!!
> > How in the world did you keep a straight face when the potential
> > customers replied: fear of lead poisoning in the unglazed ware?
>
>Not at all funny! My local potters' guild has just passed a rule against
>any food surface which is not glazed because..... drum roll, please....
>the clay could release lead. (Also could trap bacteria but that almost
>makes sense.)
Sounds like your guild is in serious need
of an educational sit down ... I cant believe there wasnt one
potter in there with sense enough to speak up ...
marci
www.ppio.com
Lee Love on wed 7 oct 09
On Wed, Oct 7, 2009 at 12:37 PM, Lis Allison wrote:
> Not at all funny! My local potters' guild has just passed a rule against
> any food surface which is not glazed because..... drum roll, please....
> the clay could release lead.
Lead
(Also could trap bacteria but that almost
> makes sense.)
>
> Lis
>
> --
> Elisabeth Allison
> Pine Ridge Studio
> www.Pine-Ridge-Studio.blogspot.com
>
--
--
Lee Love, Minneapolis
"The tea ceremony bowl is the ceramic equivalent of a sonnet: a
small-scale, seemingly constricted form that challenges the artist to
go beyond mere technical virtuosity and find an approach that both
satisfies and transcends the conventions." -- Rob Sliberman
full essay: http://togeika.multiply.com/journal/item/273/
Steve Slatin on wed 7 oct 09
Logan --
Plenty of commercial ware is made with lead glazes.
If they're formulated right, fired right, and washed
before first use, they will release only trivial amounts
of lead.
Some craft potters may still be using lead glazes as
well, though I can't think of any that I know.
I would use the modifier "responsible" freely,=3D20
though I'm sure some here will claim that they are
responsible and know *just* how to use lead.
Sunt maioribus morionis.
Steve Slatin --=3D20
--- On Wed, 10/7/09, Logan Johnson wrote:
> From: Logan Johnson
> O.K. this thread woke up my
> longstanding curiosity.=3DA0=3D20
> When DID "we" stop using lead in "our" pottery?
> I know I don't & many here on the list don't.
> Naturally there are exceptions=3DA0 but I would like to say to
> uneducated prospective buyers something like=3DA0 " Ceramic
> artists haven't used lead in pottery for (insert number
> here) years/decades."=3DA0 Maybe I should=3DA0 say
> ....Responsible=3DA0 before Ceramic artists
> if=3DA0 it's more appropriate or, say "in the U.S." ?=3DA0 since
> I know nothing about what other countries are doing.
> What's a good answer to the question...=3DA0 Is there lead in
> the pottery? or I'm worried about the lead in the clay so I
> don't want a cup without a glazed interior.
>=3D20
> Curious minds want to know !
> Thanks ,
> Logan=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A
Michael Wendt on wed 7 oct 09
Chemical analyses of clays would reveal whether there was
lead in the clay. Just for reference, the clays near Moscow
, Idaho USA that I tested showed both lead and arsenic in
some of the strata due to localized surface levels that
percolate down through to the clay layer and get trapped
there. They were very low but still showed up on the
chemical analyses done for the various layers. In contrast,
the clay out at Helmer, Idaho is pure enough to eat.
I would doubt that clays sold by major manufacturers in the
US would contain levels of lead above the trace level common
to general background levels.\Regards,
Michael Wendt
Fred Parker on thu 8 oct 09
I suppose on one level I understand the misconception. We are conditione=
=3D
d
to "cover things" in order to protect ourselves from nasty perils: vinyl
gloves over food handlers unwashed hands, tamper-proof seals between
product and psychopath, paint between oxidizable steel and oxygen, condom=
=3D
s
between... well, you get my point. Everybody has heard about "lead
poisoning from pottery" so extrapolating to the idea that glaze is there =
=3D
to
protect us from the clay is only a short intellectual hop. Coming from a=
=3D
"Walmart shopper" (I'm stereotyping here) I wouldn't have given it a seco=
=3D
nd
thought.
However, the comment came from someone who should know better. They are =
=3D
a
great fan/collector of handmade pottery. Somehow their information was
skewed 'way off target.
I think the main point here is that potters need to be ever mindful that =
=3D
the
public needs continuous education about ceramics. It can only help if mo=
=3D
re
in the marketplace know more about the craft of the potter. Most of us a=
=3D
re
guilty (as am I) of assuming everyone understands these basic details, ye=
=3D
t I
find even shop owners who carry my (and others') pottery do not. They lo=
=3D
ve
to hear about the arcane details of glaze mixing, firing options and clay=
=3D
bodies.=3D20=3D20
I have to keep reminding myself that making pottery is something most peo=
=3D
ple
assume they will never do. For them, potters are interesting people with=
=3D
interesting things to say. In a world of office cubicles and reality sho=
=3D
ws,
a world where small talk and football debates dominate conversation someo=
=3D
ne
with knowledge of a mysterious process has a very special appeal. We sho=
=3D
uld
take advantage of it...
Fred Parker
On Wed, 7 Oct 2009 08:40:03 -0700, Chaeli Sullivan =
=3D
wrote:
>Oh!=3DA0 That's funny, Fred !!!
>How in the world did you keep a straight face when the potential custome=
=3D
rs
replied:=3DA0 fear of lead poisoning in the unglazed ware?
>Chae
>
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